Eating salads

When can you start eating salads after NF I am at 7 week and doing great except for constipation. Could use some fiber.

Hi! Just thought - you could try something like fybrogel - it's a liquid with added fibre, goes down well and doesn't taste too bad! - helped me before I started taking pro-biotics/ enzymes!

Hi - reason I mention Romaine lettuce; have come across info that indicates the Iceberg lettuce (found in most restaurants) is for some reason, harder to chew and swallow when first returning to salads. I didn't try any soft leaf lettuces until I had been eating salads for over a week. They don't chew up quite the same, so to be safe you might want to start with the crunchy Romaine and see how that goes.

I got hungry for pizza, too. We like the Gourmet Vegetable on thin crust; it went down no problem. I try not to eat anything with pepperoni, because it just hurts too much. So the meat pizzas are something I like but don't eat very often. I don't think the red sauce is the problem.

Have you tried any pasta yet? I didn't have any trouble with spagetti, I cut it up so it wouldn't 'run away' from my fork, and chewed it up well. I have a friend who cannot eat it even a year later. I guess everyone is different!

The untoasted bread in a sandwich is still pretty sticky to swallow; I usually toast any loaf bread first. Had some cornbread, that was ok. Also had a donut, and cinnamon roll. They were fine. (Yum)

I love things like egg salad and tuna salad, but I tend to eat them too fast; so I have to be really careful.

Have tried a couple of buffet restaurants here; they are my 'Achilles Heel.' Cannot seem to help over-eating, which causes discomfort. So hard to resist all of those old favorites!

Find I've gained 8 pounds by eating as my Surgeon commanded (eat for healing not weight loss) so at week 12 I'm starting to cut back. It seems like <1200 is the majic number for me. I will have to forget about my afternoon dish of 1/2 cup ice cream very soon. Sigh!

Enjoy exploring foods. It can be fun, and tastes so nice!

Best, Fresh Greens

Hi teapot,

I'm glad to hear you're doing so well post-op!
A very late welcome to the Wrapped Club!

At seven weeks post op, it's absolutely normal to want to branch out in your eating, and fresh veggies are so, so tempting after so long without them!

As you have discovered the key to comfortable eating is small bites and chew, chew, chew! A cup of tea or room temp water nearby can help if something gets stuck...it can relax the esophagus and help move things through. Just sip, sip, sip.

This has always been my rule of thumb (and after a lifetime of eating with abandon regarding getting food past the too-relaxed LES) is to take small bites and chew, chew, chew, until whatever you're chewing is a liquid/creamy consistency.

Let your wrap decide how much salad/raw veggies you can handle. I found my wrap became uncomfortable if I ate large dinner salads for probably a year or a little more. It was just too much roughage scratching by...Now I can eat any amount of salad any time, without trouble. (my surgery was in 2009) I can also eat raw veggies like carrot/celery with abandon.

This wasn't the case for the first year or so. Hamburgers bothered me, too. Once I passed the first year or two post op, I don't have a problem with them, either. So...just because you find something hard on your wrap in the first months/year it doesn't mean it will always be a problem.

So...listen to your body/wrap/stomach, and as long as what you eat doesn't bother, go for it! Hopefully, your constipation will soon be a thing of the past. Are you drinking enough liquids? Another thing to consider. Getting exercise is also helpful.

Best wishes with it all, and...
Happy healing!
Denise